FIRE IN KONDOPOGA
The work of the Kondopoga parish has been seriously damaged by a fire which broke out a few days ago – an initial report is given below, together with details of how to contribute to the appeal.
For some
years St Gregory’s Foundation has supported this extraordinary parish which was
started in December 1991 when Father Lev Bol’shakov and Mother Julia were sent
from
The village
where the old church stands is old, but the town is new. It was created in the late 1920’s to
run two of Stalin’s major projects using exiles and slave labour: the infamous
tree-felling industry and the digging of two canals linking the
The parish
of Kondopoga has two churches: one to the Assumption of the Mother of God, a
wooden architecture gem dating from the 18th century, and one of the
Presentation to the Temple, built in instalments (started in 1994) and by now
too small. Its Parish house – now damaged
by the fire - is the biggest wooden building in town, built in 1928: the former
headquarters of the tree-felling industry which killed so many thousands of
prisoners. The current
administration of this industry gave the house to the Church as a present.
Now there
are over 400 permanent parishioners and 200 people attending the services. Thjs growth is partly explained by the
personalities of the Bol’shakov’s, exceptionally energetic and imaginative
people with many practical skills, partly by their having been leaders of a
large group of catechisers in Leningrad (disciples of Father Alexander Men’ and
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh), partly by the enthusiasm and extensive skills
of the local people, only partly by Western support. 53 people have been rehabilitated through working in the
Parish, leaving behind drink, drugs, criminal activities, or being integrated
into society in spite of disability.
For the
first year, every Friday saw a group of their friends leave St Petersburg for
Kondopoga by night train to spend the weekend either in church or at work:
building, digging, painting, teaching the locals church music, catechism,
history, icon-painting, Christian living.
They would sing the services and leave by the Sunday night train. Some
of these links remain, but the Parish is now firmly rooted in its own local
people.
In 1999,
the Order of St Lazarus of
About 200
children and adolescents use Parish house as a home-from-home every week: a
multi-faceted youth programme is run all year; summer camps started two years
ago and will now have their own base; sawmill and carpentry workshops provide
employment and training; the Parish not only prays but also works intensely for
the glory of God.
The fire
The parish house in Kondopoga has partly burnt down, with the fire breaking out
just before the Vigil for the Feast of the Annunciation. The priest and deacon
celebrated the Vigil, while a gale raged outside, and the able-bodied of the
parish concentrated on putting the fire out - the less able-bodied concentrated
on praying.
The fire took over 20 hours to put out and the parishioners played an even
greater part than the fire brigade (although this tried very hard indeed, under
the leadership of its chief who is a devout parishioner). Vladik the
choirmaster, having spent 15 hours on the roof in gale force winds and freezing
temperatures and being soaked through, is now very ill and it is feared he may
have pneumonia.
The third storey is completely gone, the second storey is seriously damaged,
but the ground floor is relatively OK (apart from water damage). The icon
painting workshop, the sewing workshop and part of the Bolshakovs flat have been
destroyed. The rest of the building has been saved and all the equipment
(books, furniture etc) has been removed: even the church music is intact. They
could not take out the piano, though.
All the salvaged things now completely fill the space in the other buildings,
and in particular the carpentry workshop, so work there cannot take place
either.
The great tragedy is that the fire completely destroyed the icon-painting
workshop, complete with ten icons ready for shipment (several months' work
lost), several icons in the process of restoration and - worst of all - the
whole library on icon-painting, both of published materials and of the results
of their own research. It is hoped that the icon-painters and icon-lovers of
our Diocese will be able to help re-create this collection. They obviously need
materials as well. Everything -
paints, brushes, lacquers, all utensils and instruments - was destroyed.
The icon-painting workshop was the only source of income for the priest's
family and also provided a major part of the parish's financing of its social
work.
Parishioners are busy day and night, beginning to put
things in order, and assessing the damage, and preparing for reconstruction.
Many new people are helping, in addition to the regulars. Already the parish
kitchen is working again, in a garage: one of the stoves was put into the
garage and the workers and parishioners are being fed.
The fire started when a spark from their wood-fired central heating plant was
lodged in a crack between roof and wall. It is a timber structure, built in
1929. This happened just as they had renovated the electrics and plumbing, also
completed the sewing workshop (which is entirely destroyed). Forty little girls
attending Sunday school were learning needlework there, thanks to the
generosity of two women - one a former parishioner of the London parish
(Juliana Danilchik) and the other a kind Englishwoman (Miriam Adair), a
non-believer who does a tremendous amount of good. All the machines (if not the
textiles) from the sewing workshop were saved.
How to contribute to the Kondopoga Fire Appeal
Please send any donation (cheque made out to St Gregory's Foundation) direct to
our treasurer, Mr G Guest at 32 Wood Rise Pinner HA5 2JE.
Please consider Gift Aiding your donation - for your convenience a response
form is set out below.
Alternatively, you may transfer funds to our bank account (ref Kondopoga)
Banking
is with the Royal Bank of Scotland , Bath and the account details are:
Sterling account
BIC RBOS GB 2L
IBAN: GB95 RBOS 161253 12348109
Dollar account
Ac no STGRFO-USDA
IBAN GB50 RBOS 1663 0000 2618 94
IBAN BIC RBOS GB 2L
Contributors from abroad should contact Mr Guest first by email on
User369295@aol.com.
To Mr G Guest, 32 Wood Rise Pinner HA5 2JE
Kondopoga fire appeal.
I enclose a cheque / CAF voucher for £
This declaration confirms my wish to make a donation to St Gregory's Foundation
under the Gift Aid scheme and applies to all donations made since 6/4/00 and
all donations I make hereafter. I understand I must pay an amount of
income or capital gains tax in the relevant year equal to any tax to be
reclaimed by the Foundation on the donation.
I confirm I am a UK taxpayer, resident in the UK for tax purposes and that I
will advise the Foundation if the situation changes.
Signed.......................... Date
................
(Block capitals)
Name and Address.............................................................
........................................................................................
........................................................................................
"